3fifteen, Edcon's Microsoft applications development partner, has developed and implemented a travel requisition portal to help Edcon manage its travel expense account and potentially help the Company save huge amounts on its travel costs.
3fifteen has developed and implemented an automated workflow application that has eliminated the paper-based travel requisition process. Edcon now has more internal financial control over the allocation of travel allowances and payments to suppliers. Edcon has also automated the process that enables it to measure the services received from suppliers.
Edcon can now enforce its travel policy and can also ensure that only authorised staff travel on the Company's expense. The integration with Edcon's financial system has automated the processes of creating orders and invoicing. Since deploying the solution, Edcon has experienced major cost savings and expects a Return on Investment within a year.
According to 3fifteen sales director Roger Trummer, Edcon wanted more control over its travel expenses. "Edcon found it extremely difficult to enforce its travel policy."
Edcon had specific business drivers for the solution, it needed to develop and implement an automated workflow application that would eliminated the paper-based travel requisition process.
To fulfil in Edcon's requirements for a Travel Requisition Portal, 3fifteen developed an intranet solution based on Microsoft SharePoint Portal Server with K2.net as the workflow engine. The solution also allows for direct integration to Edcon's financial system.
Trummer says the integration with Edcon's financial system has automated the processes of creating orders and invoicing in Oracle Finance. "With the previous manual system, four employees had to manually input the orders into Edcon's financial system - a time consuming process which allowed for human error."
The portal allows Edcon to measure the performance of the travel agency in terms of its Service Level Agreement (SLA) and the cost of tickets. "In some instances the travel agency only booked flight tickets two days before the person was due to travel even though the tickets were ordered well in advance. As a result, Edcon was overspending on travel," says Trummer.
"The solution provides Edcon with detailed information on staff travel arrangements. Unlike in the past, Edcon is now able to track all travel transactions throughout the organisation. Business rules ensure that employees can no longer overspend on travel, they are allocated a specific travel budget according to their position in the organisation," he concludes.
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3fifteen is a 100% focused Microsoft applications solutions development company in which Dimension Data has taken a 57% stake.
3fifteen is one of the first Microsoft partners in South Africa to achieve Microsoft Gold Certified Partner status in four competencies: Custom Development Solutions, Information Worker Solutions, Data Management (Business Intelligence) Solutions and Business Process and Integration Solutions. 3fifteen has met the rigorous new conditions introduced as part of the global software vendor's revamped partner certification programme.
3fifteen has been awarded the 'Integrated e-Business Solutions Partner of the Year 2005 Award' as well as the 'Customer Experience Award 2006" by Microsoft. 3fifteen was also nominated in numerous other categories.
Key to its success, 3fifteen believes companies with niche market needs are often not satisfied with packaged products because desired specifications are rarely met. Therefore, at the heart of 3fifteen's offering is the ability to deliver customised application developments, tailored solutions that add value throughout the customer's core business and provide companies with a crucial competitive advantage.
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